The Book Trailer contest has started with three main reasons. Firstly, it was founded to connect students studying Japanese at international schools in Japan through the use of technology. Secondly, the reason was to acknowledge students' progress, whose Japanese communication skills were not as good as their English. Lastly, the reason was to promote the progress of their Japanese communication skills by reading, using critical thinking skills, collaborating, and use of technology. Three teachers from different international schools in Japan collaborated and founded the contest in the 2010-11 school year.
The students use technology and tell the story by producing a book trailer. The main purpose of making the trailer is to have the viewers pick up the book. Therefore, they need to communicate the contents of the book well, yet they also need to plan to intentionally hide some parts of the book to hook the viewers.
Students are required to understand the theme of the book. To promote the book with the trailer they make, some students may create a script, and act on it, or draw pictures. Other students may take lots of photos, using a stop motion app, then they can create a trailer. Animation, puppet play, composing music, adding sound effects, text, narration etc., the students are free to use different ways to express their interpretation of the book.
The students should be mindful of the copyright laws and citations as they apply for the contest since the entries will be posted publicly. Apart from the book cover, they must use copyright free pictures, movies, and music unless they create their own. They should remember to cite the sources. Students develop digital citizenship skills through this contest.
The students enjoy this activity freely - foster their creativity, they go back to the book and read the text over again. They develop their skills by watching trailers from other schools through friendly competitions. Their teachers also recognized that the students’ viewing skills have improved. The students became aware of how they would apply the scene they liked in real life.
From the 2011-2012 academic year, award-winning trailers became open to the public. A few years ago, we received entries from overseas schools. Even there is a limitation of entries from each school, as of this year, the total number of entries is over seven hundred videos. In the past, the students who created and finished their book trailers enjoyed watching the movie trailer based on the same book that the professionals have made.
After ten years of running the contest, from 2020-2021 school year, contest 2.0 has started. We welcome the new phase.
We hope the visitors to the website will enjoy reading and connecting with us along with the book.
Finally, we would like to show our heartfelt appreciation to the students, whose exciting book trailers gave us the chance to build a relationship with everyone involved, the teachers who had volunteered to run the contest for a good cause, and those who supported us.
Fall 2020
Book Trailer Contest Management Committee